When I was a kid my mother’s parents lived in a log cabin house atop a certain mountain in sunny Southern California. It was a bit of “community,” I think Several houses spread wide across the hilltops, some owned some rented, one person sort of “head” of the thing (maybe the owner of the majority of the rentals, I think).
There was, down the road a ways from their place, a community pool. When we’d go visit them, we’d all go down and spend time there. There were never many people there, the total population on the mountain couldn’t have been that large. The pool had a diving board, and for a long time that diving board was my great challenge.
I’d walk over to it, get scared, and walk back. I’d maybe walk out on it, get scared, and walk back. Maybe bounce it a little, get scared, walk back. You get the idea.
The feeling out on the end, knowing it’d be fun, knowing I’d be OK, wanting so bad to do it but chickening out…
And, then, you finally did it. Woohoo. So worth it.
Also written on this day...
- she may have a point - 2010
- a burp about my hot dog - 2009
- he that hath an ear - 2006
- dreaming of murder - 2005
- I shaved for you - 2004